Chicago Cubs: Veteran looking to prove he still belongs in the big leagues
George Kontos is probably the most recognizable name on this list among the pitchers. Kontos was a very solid reliever for the Giants from 2012-2017. In his time there he pitched to a 3.05 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 3.70 FIP before being traded to the Pirates.
Things went downhill for him in 2018 as he bounced between the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees organizations and had a 4.39 ERA and 5.60 FIP in 26 2/3 innings between them all. His drop in velocity certainly did not help last season. Getting that back is what he has been working on this offseason as he tries to hit the reset button.
Kontos signed a minor league deal with the Cubs just a few weeks ago and was already announced to be a big league camp invitee. If he pitches well and proves himself he may be one of the most likely candidates to make the big league roster when the season starts.